Easy Ways To Fix Excel Not Responding or Slow

Quick Tips

• If Excel keeps freezing, try force-closing the app and reopening it to fix any minor glitches.
• Open Excel in Safe Mode sans all the add-ins. This will tell you if any add-in is the culprit and then you can resolve the issue.
• If you’re Excel is running slow, try removing all conditional formatting and objects, for the time being.

Why Does Excel Keep Freezing or Lags on Windows

If the Excel app or file stops responding or lags, it can be attributed to various factors. Some common reasons can include,

• Compatibility issues: If you’re using an outdated version of Excel or Windows, some advanced and new features might not load properly, thus disturbing your experience.

• Insufficient system resources: If your computer lacks sufficient RAM or processing power, Excel may struggle to perform efficiently. The first sign might be that you can’t scroll Excel smoothly.

• Large and complex spreadsheets: An Excel sheet with extensive data or complex formulas can strain Excel and your Computer’s resources.

• Add-ins and background processes: Third-party add-ins and unnecessary background processes might affect your system’s resources. And since Excel isn’t getting the support it needs, it might not respond or slow down.

• Corrupted files: Damaged Excel files or corrupted user profiles can also result in freezing.

Now that some common reasons behind Excel not responding or loading slowly are established, let’s find a solution for you.

Tip: If your Excel file is working fine, but you can’t save changes on Windows, try out the attached troubleshooting guide.

Top Fixes if the Excel Freezes Every Time Used

If the Excel isn’t working properly, regardless of which file you access, try these steps.

Basic Fixes

• Force close and open Excel – There might be a minor glitch in the program leading to Excel not responding or slowing down. A simple fix to this is force quitting the app and restarting it.
• Close Unnecessary Background Apps – As mentioned above, a background app might affect the system’s performance and, in turn, Excel. The ideal way is to close all open apps at once and then open Excel to see if it works smoothly. You can also disable background apps one by one if you want to know which app is loading your system and causing Excel to freeze or run slowly.

Fix 1. Start Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode

Like when you run Windows in Safe Mode, running Excel in Safe Mode allows the application to run without add-ins. So if an installed plugin is causing the issue, you can catch the culprit.

There are multiple ways to open Excel in Safe Mode; the simplest one is to press the Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box. Next, type excel -safe and press Enter or click OK.

If Excel opens with the above steps, a plugin or other software is likely installed that is interfering with Excel. The solution for the same is in the next step.

Fix 2. Disable COM Add-ins To Stop Excel from Freezing

Regardless of whether your Excel worked in Safe Mode or not, temporarily turning off the add-ins can not just help you resolve the issue but can also speed up the overall process.

Step 1: Open Excel. Click File from the top menu.

Step 2: Here, select Options from the bottom-left corner.

Step 3: Go to the Add-ins tab. Select the drop-down menu next to Manage.

Step 4: Select COM Add-in and then Go.

Step 5: Uncheck all the Add-in. Click OK when done.

Step 6: For extra measure, go through the list in the drop-down and disable all Excel Add-ins, Actions, and XML Expansion Pack.

Close and relaunch the Excel normally to see if disabling items in those selections do the trick. If this trick worked for you, happy Excelling. However, you can enable these add-ins one by one later to find the exact add-in or action that was disturbing your Excel experience.

Fix 3. Repair Microsoft Excel

Microsoft knows how these small issues might affect your experience, thus, it houses a handy self-repair tool. It can fix many issues, from the toolbar not working to can’t type in Excel, including the issue at hand.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Installed apps.

Step 2: Scroll down and find Microsoft Office on the list. Click the three-dot icon next to it.

Step 3: Select Modify/Advanced Options.

Step 4: Here, select Repair or Reset.

Once the repair or reset is complete. Try to launch Excel and see if you have a freezing problem. If the problem persists, hop on to the next solution.

The final option to stop Excel from freezing or acting slow is to contact the Microsoft team and ask their experts for help.

Excel Not Responding or Slowing for Only One Spreadsheet

Naturally, if the problem only occurs when you open a certain spreadsheet, there is an issue with the file. But don’t worry, just give these steps a try.

Fix 1. Clear Conditional Formatting

While conditional formatting can make a spreadsheet visually appealing, it can also slow it down or freeze. However, clearing all formatting may affect the data in your spreadsheet, so it’s wiser to save a copy of the file and then clear the formatting.

To do so, open the Excel spreadsheet → Click File → Save as and make a new copy. Next, open the document copy and go to Home → Conditional Formatting → Clear Rules → Clear Rules From Entire Sheet.

If you no longer experience freezing or slowness problems in the file, you must narrow down which section is causing the problem and reapply the conditional formatting.

Fix 2. Remove Unused Formulas or Broken External Links

Sometimes an Excel file might malfunction because of a complex or faulty formula or a bad/broken external link. So, it’s wiser to check the formulas (one by one) and links to determine the culprit and remove or repair it accordingly.

Fix 3. Clear Objects or Shapes

If you’ve used objects or shapes in your Excel, whether for appearances or genuine use, try removing them all or one by one to avoid Excel slowing down or not responding.

Step 1: Hold Ctrl + G to bring up the Go To box. Here, select the Special button.

Step 3: Next, check Objects and then OK to search for all objects in Excel.

Step 4: Select the object and delete it.

If the problem persists, convert Excel to Google Sheets temporarily and complete your work.